Uncharted Territory
by zachmartin304
Summary: I don't have a summary as of yet, just gonna keep on writing :)
1. Chapter 1 - The Calling

"Faith!" my roommate whispered to me, shaking my shoulder.

I moaned a little in my sleep and looked over the clock. 3:57 AM.

"What do you want Abby? Training isn't for another four hours..." I said groggily back.

"Listen! I got up to go visit the infirmary and I found something carved on the door. Get up!" Abby whispered, kind of excitedly.

In an effort to appease Abby so I could return to my dreams, I slowly rolled out of bed, my long legs tangled in the mass of sheets. I grumbled incoherently and walked over to the door. Carved into the wood was what looked like the letter A with the bar in the center missing.

"This is what you got me up for? Really Abby? I'm going back to bed," I mumbled, annoyed that she woke me up for something so frivolous. I flopped back onto my bed and crawled under the blankets. Our room was cold, but sleep came back quickly to me.

I found myself in a completely white room when my dreams returned. I heard a faint voice calling my name in my dreams. I turned around and saw a woman, dressed completely in white robes. She had flowing golden hair that came down to just below her shoulders.

"Faith..." I heard the woman faintly call my name. "Faith..."

"Who are you?" I asked, cocking my head to the side slightly.

"My name is not important. What is important is you."

"That doesn't help me much."

"Faith, the Brotherhood needs you."

"What Brotherhood? And me? You're insane."

"The Brotherhood of the Assassins. We need you Faith."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Now please, be a dear and get out of my dreams."

"If that is what you wish. But I will leave you with something to think about our encounter."

I felt a searing pain on my forearm, and I woke up screaming. Abby jumped out of bed and ran over to me.

"Oh my God, are you alright?" Abby asked, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

"I'm fine. Go back to bed."

Abby crawled back under the sheets in her bed, and I looked down at my forearm.

Burned into my flesh was the mark on the door.

I tossed and turned the rest of that night, trying to get over the pain in my right arm. I woke up, and made my way to the bathroom for a shower. I locked the door, got undressed and turned the water on. The warmth of the water relaxed my tensed muscles, and I looked down at the scar on my arm.

_What the hell was this Brotherhood that lady was talking about?_ My mind started wandering along the possibilities it implied, coming to the conclusion that I shouldn't worry about it.

My brown hair stuck to my back and shoulders as I reached for my towel. I dried myself off, and walked back into the bedroom. Abby had already disappeared off to the cafeteria. _She was always a strange girl..._ I thought. I pulled on a pair of blue jeans and a red, long-sleeved shirt so as to cover the scar on my arm.

I jogged down to the cafeteria in an effort to get something to eat before training started. I'm not hungry, but I know that if I don't eat, I'll be sick and stuck in the infirmary later. I found Abby sitting with two other boys, one who I had never seen before, and the other being Mark, our instructor. I sat down next to Abby silently, making sure the symbol on my arm was covered.

"Faith, what took you so long?" Abby asked, glancing at my arm.

I shoveled a spoonful of scrambled eggs into my mouth. "What do you mean? I moved as fast as I normally do..." I mumbled.

I looked over at Mark and caught him eyeing me up and down. I felt slightly embarrassed, since I have somewhat of a crush on him, and I always wished he would just simply ask me out... Hey a girl can dream, right?

Anyways, Mark realized I noticed he was staring when I started to blush slightly. He looked down at his food and gave a half-smile that I loved seeing. I ate the rest of my breakfast in silence.

Mark took my class of initiates down to the gun range for target practice. Lined up on the table in front of us were sixteen guns, all shiny and freshly cleaned.

"Alright ladies and gents, today I'm going to teach you how to fire a gun..." Mark's voice trailed off as I started to zone out.

_Faith..._ The voice I heard in my dream had returned.

_Great,_ I thought. _Now I'm hearing things._ I shook my head to try to focus.

_Faith..._ the voice kept calling to me. I glanced at my forearm. The scar had started glowing.

"Everybody pick up your weapons!" Mark's voice entered my thoughts. I shouldered the gun and took aim at my target, which looked like the silhouette of a man. When it was my turn to fire, I trained my eye down the sights of my gun and fired three rounds. Dead center, every shot. Mark stared at me in amazement, mouth wide open.

"What? Haven't you ever seen a girl do that before?" I smirked. All of the initiates stood awestruck as I walked back to the gun rack and hung up my gun. I walked out of the gun range silently.

I heard footsteps coming behind me. "Faith wait!" Mark called after me down the hall. I whirled around to face him.

"Faith, there's something different about you. First the long-sleeved shirt, then firing three shots in the exact same spot. Something's not right."

I absent-mindedly started scratching my arm, and the symbol was exposed. I hoped that he hadn't seen. Mark leaned in close and whispered, "You too?"

I looked at him with suspicion. He took my hand and said "Follow me."

Mark led me into a room where he knew there weren't any cameras. He closed the door and locked it behind us.

"Do you know what the symbol on your arm means, Faith?" Mark asked, pointing at my forearm. I shook my head, and Mark slid the sleeve of his shirt up to reveal the same symbol on his shoulder.

"Faith, this is the symbol of the Brotherhood of the Assassins," Mark said, tracing the symbol on my skin, sending chills down my spine.

"Did that weird angel lady try to recruit you too?

"Recruit me? Faith, I am an Assassin. I'm the one who told the Teacher to recruit you."

"Why me? Of all people, you choose me?"

"Did you see those perfect shots? No one came even remotely close!"

"Yeah, and?"

Mark put his hand on my cheek and my heart started racing, "Listen. The Brotherhood could use people like you." I looked down at my forearm and noticed that the Assassin symbol was glowing again.

"Look, you don't have to join, but I want you to know. This is bigger than both of us. Than the Brotherhood," he said.

"What'll happen if I say yes?" I asked.

"That's a secret. So are you in?"

"I'm in."

Mark smiled and slid something into my hand silently. "There will be a sweatshirt waiting for you on your bed. Wear it and pull the hood over your head to conceal your identity. Meet me in the Pit at midnight." I nodded meekly.

"Oh and Faith," Mark said quietly, leaning in close to me, "I know how you feel about me. It's something you pick up as an Assassin." He kissed my cheek softly and backed out of the room.

I sat on the edge of the table in the room, trying to lower my heartbeat.

_Oh crap. Oh crap, oh crap…_ I thought, _I conceal my emotions so well that even Abby can't read them. How the heck was he able to read my emotions? Oh crap._

I finally calmed down and checked my watch. Quarter to eleven. I took a deep breath and shook my head quickly to try to get back into focus.

I walked out of the small room and down the hallway to the cafeteria. The nervousness of my rendezvous with Mark tonight gave me butterflies, and it made me reluctant to eat anything. I sat down with Abby, and our best friend Emily. I slowly started eating lunch, trying not to let my nervousness show.

Pretty soon, I realized that I had accidentally left the Assassin's symbol uncovered, but by the time that thought passed through my head, it was too late.

"You too?" Emily whispered, glancing at my forearm.

"What do you mean, 'You too?'"

Emily looked at Abby, and she put a finger to her lips, signaling for me to keep quiet. The girls rolled up their sleeve up to their shoulders. Tattooed in red and black ink was the Assassin symbol.

I mouthed _Assassins?_ to them. Both of them nodded.

Well that would explain why they never wore tank tops…


	2. Chapter 2 - The Meeting

**Author's Note - I'm soooooooooooooo sorry for waiting so long to update! I don't have too much time outside of school, so I try to find time to write in school. Thank you for the reviews and being so patient! You guys rock!**

The rest of the day dragged by slowly, every minute seeming like an eternity. I made my way back to my room after dark and found the sweatshirt folded neatly on my bed. I took a deep breath, looking over at the clock. _9:30 PM._

_Okay, Faith. Two and half hours. Go take a shower and relax. _The "angel's" voice was returning. I got undressed and walked into the bathroom. I turned on the hot water, and closed my eyes, letting the sheet of water and cloud of steam envelope me.

Immediately after I closed my eyes, the face of the "angel" invaded my thoughts.

_What do you want? _I asked in my thoughts.

_I am happy you have seen the truth and understand you aren't alone._

_ If I'm so important, then why haven't you contacted me earlier?_

_ All in good time, Faith. You were not matured enough then._

_ Okay, so tell me. What is this "Brotherhood of the Assassins" that you speak?_

_ You will learn when the time comes. But for now, trust in God, and follow Mark's instructions. _The "angel's" face began to fade away.

I opened my eyes gasping for breath. I walked back into the bedroom, and started getting dressed. I pulled on a pair of black jeans and T-shirt before sliding my arms into the sleeves of the sweatshirt. I zipped up the sweatshirt and pulled the hood over my head. I sat down on the floor and put a pair of black combat boots on my feet.

_ Okay, now walk downstairs. Don't talk to anyone._ I looked down at the floor as I walked to the elevator. Riding the elevator down, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. I reached the lobby and started making a beeline for the door.

_Now walk out the front door and make a left. _As I walked out the door, I was greeted with a cool breeze and light rain. I looked down towards the sidewalk and turned left.

_Now walk three blocks until you get to an alleyway._ I did what I was told and found Mark standing back, the dark concealing his form. He stepped forward and motioned for me to come with him.

I followed Mark farther down the alleyway until we reached a fire escape. Mark motioned for me to climb up the ladder on the wall. As I climbed up the rungs of the ladder, I looked down at Mark, who by now had backed up against the wall of the building across from us. He took a running start and jumped at the wall.

To my surprise, Mark started scaling the wall using cracks left in between the bricks. We kept climbing up, keeping time with each other. When we reached the top of the building, Mark flung himself over the wall and moved to the top of the ladder, holding his hand out to me.

I took his hand and he helped me over the concrete edge. "You know, for being a stoic ninja person, you're really a gentleman," I said, blushing slightly.

Mark smiled, "I try."

He shifted his hand to the inside of my elbow and led me to the opposite edge of the building. I peered over the edge.

"Jump."

I looked at him, surprised. "Are you serious? That's, like, a seventy foot drop!"

He climbed over the edge of the building. "Watch me." Mark shimmied down to a pole sticking out of the wall. He jumped down from that pole to another pole, a few feet away. Each time he landed, Mark kept perfect balance. He continued to vault himself to the next pole until he got to the next pole, and finally to a small ledge on the corner.

_Great. Time to be an acrobat._ I thought.

I hesitantly swung my leg over the edge, and slowly edged down to the pole. When I caught my balance, I gingerly turned to face the next pole.

I closed my eyes, and remembered my favorite Bible verse: _"There's no need for you to fear for I am your God. I'll give you strength, I'll help you, I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you." Isaiah 41:10._

I took a step forward, and to my surprise, my foot landed on the next pole. I gingerly leaned forward and put my whole weight on the pole. Bad mistake.

The pole gave way, and I clung to the building for fear of my life. Mark came bounding over the poles and reached out his hand. I reached for it, and he pulled me to safety. Mark helped me over the rest of the poles, and we sat down on the ledge to catch our breath.

"I knew I was heavy, but I didn't think _that_ heavy!" I said, panting.

Mark slid his arm around my waist, and my heart started racing. "You're not heavy at all, that pole's fallen before."

"Well thanks for the heads up!" I said sarcastically, resting my head against his shoulder lightly. We sat there for a little while, watching the headlights of the cars passing by.

A few minutes passed and Mark stood up, balancing himself on the ledge. "We need to keep moving," he said, helping me up.

We climbed down the ladder that led onto a fire escape, and he led me to a section of wall that appeared disturbed. Mark leaned against it, and the wall moved back to reveal a hidden room. We walked in, and he pushed the wall back into place.

Mark hit a switch, and the room lit up. On the floor was the Assassin's symbol, and seated in a circle around the symbol were some of my closest friends. An older man with graying hair stood up and walked up to me.

"Good evening Faith, we've been expecting you. I am the Teacher." the elderly man said, holding his hand out.

I kindly shook his hand. "It is my pleasure." Emily motioned for me to come sit next to her, so I walked over and took a seat, Mark at my side.

"Let the meeting commence," the Teacher announced. "As you all know, Faith has made the all-important decision of joining the Brotherhood. That being said, I charge you all to be mentors and to guide Faith according to the Creed."

Mark slipped an envelope into the pocket of my sweatshirt and murmured "Read it alone. Don't let anyone else see it." I nodded and slid my hands into my pockets, clasping the paper gingerly.

The Teacher proceeded to go into a lesson about the reason for the Brotherhood. I zoned out pretty early and spent most of the evening thumbing the seal on the envelope in my pocket.

After the meeting, Mark led me down an easier path to the sidewalk below after our little "episode" seventy feet in the air. He took my hand in his gently and he walked with me back to the training and housing building. We rode the elevator up to the fifth floor, and Mark escorted me the rest of the way back to my room.

When we got to the door, Mark stopped and put his hands on my hips, and it made me blush like crazy.

"I'm really happy you decided to join, Faith," he said.

"Honestly Mark, anything to get these visions to stop," I laughed nervously. I looked down at the floor, hoping Mark wouldn't notice how fast my heart was racing.

"I have a little secret to tell you…" Mark tilted my head up to face his, and he ran his thumb along my jaw line.

_Oh just freaking kiss me already, you fool!_ No sooner had the thought passed through my mind than were his lips pressed softly against mine.

My eyes grew big in surprise for a moment before they slowly closed, and my hands rested against his chest. I stood on my toes so that Mark didn't have to bend down to reach me.

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWH LOOK AT THE CUTE COUPLE!" Abby squealed from down the hall, which just made my face flushed. Mark broke away, startled.

"Damn it Abby, I hate it when you sneak up like that!" I shouted back, and Mark smiled. Abby ran up the hall to meet us.

Abby poked my rib cage, making me squirm slightly. "I always _KNEW_ there would be something between you two! Mark talks about you pretty much non-stop when you aren't around!" she said, grinning from ear to ear. I looked over at Mark, who was just about as flushed as I was.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go to bed, Abby!" Mark said sarcastically, and we moved out of the way so Abby could get into the apartment.

After we made sure Abby was asleep, Mark asked me, "So what does that make us?"

"Well what do you mean?"  
"Abby sure seems to think that we're a couple, so why not?"

"Wait… Are you asking me out, Mark?"  
"You tell me." Mark smiled, probably out of nervousness.

"Well let's see. You're one of my Assassin mentors, and I'm one of your students. In more ways than one. Can you see the awkwardness in this situation?"

I felt Mark's fingers inch from my hips to my spine, and my face flushed. He moved his head so that his lips were just barely touching my ear. "Well, I'm willing to see past the awkwardness. We'll keep it hidden, and hopefully Abby won't blab it to the world…" We both laughed.

"I better get going," Mark said, after a long awkward silence.

"Before you go," I smiled, "my answer is yes."

Mark smiled and leaned in to kiss me again. "Good night, Faith."


End file.
